Wayward Petal
by Crowne Prince
Summary: I keep laughing at my first fic for no reason... Plain and simple: Tenten and Neji with a pinch of romance.


Lyke whoa, it's my first fic ever. This was actually a challenge given to me (the guidelines are listed below). Please review so I can get better at this! o.o It probably seems a little choppy towards the middle, I know.  
Oh, and for the record, I don't own Naruto.

Challenge: _Neji and Tenten romance - Involve Sasuke and Sakura (as a couple) - Take place outside of Konoha - A white tiger must play a very important role - Neji must be the first one to make any romantic advances - Must end in a river_

* * *

It had been a while since Tenten had been together with Neji like this. Ever since the chuunin exams were interrupted by the Sand and Sound ninja's plot, Neji was always put on the more dangerous and longer lasting missions. Away as much as he was, Neji no longer had the time to train with Tenten. It had been so long since she had been able to speak with him, to try and catch that rare glimpse of his smile. At one time it even seemed that Neji had wanted to tell her something. That was before the chuunin exam incident had split their team apart. But now… but now…

Tenten analyzed the campsite from the spot she had chosen on one of the lower limbs of a redwood. Though the little group of four had gotten farther from Konoha, the forest had not thinned out much. On the ground, Sasuke and Sakura were talking quietly by the fire, Sakura keeping an eye on some cooking fish. It was unusual to see Sasuke in such a relaxed state; a fond smile played on his face as he spoke with Sakura. Realizing the fish were done cooking, Sakura pulled the stake from the ground and offered one to Sasuke. He took it and they elapsed into a silence of familiarity. The two needed each other much more than either of them knew. Sakura had always been so kind to Sasuke and he, in turn, was just beginning to find in himself the wish to be with her.

Moving away from her reflections on the happy duo near the fire, Tenten turned her gaze toward Neji. He sat at the base of a tree opposite her, his eyes closed in a sort of quiet, contemplative state.

_He must be making some sort of plans for tomorrow's mission_, thought Tenten. _That must be why… he hasn't said a word since we left Konoha. And he hasn't said much to me since he came back from the last mission._ She frowned, realizing that he seemed more distant than usual. Any further introspection was interrupted when Neji came to some conclusion, standing and opening his eyes in one smooth motion. Tenten quickly turned her attention to the clear night sky. There was no moon tonight.

"I'm going to check the surrounding area." Neji said, addressing Sasuke. Tenten quietly jumped down from her perch and spoke to Sasuke as well. Maybe it was curiosity, maybe it was something else, but she felt compelled to follow Neji.

"I think I will do the same." Neji exchanged an odd look with Tenten. Sasuke regarded each of them and then gave a slight nod.

"Don't be gone too long, or we will have to come looking for you."

Tenten and Neji acknowledged this and departed in opposite directions. The plan was to circle around the camp and meet up with Neji on the other side. Although… this proved to be harder than she expected. It was almost impossible to see anything without the light of the moon. As she wandered about in the dark, Tenten closed her eyes and tried to listen for signs of Neji, taking caution to avoid running into trees.

"Tenten," someone whispered behind her. She jumped and whirled around. She was shocked to see Neji standing so closely behind her. "...I want to show you something," he said, turning around and heading deeper into the woods. Tenten followed him, smiling slightly at the fact that he had found her before she had found him.

The sound of flowing water reached Tenten's ears. Here, the faint light of the stars came through the trees and illuminated a small river. Neji stopped and turned to Tenten; she saw in his blank eyes a faint glimmer that asked, "_Do you trust me?"_

"Close your eyes," he said. As she did so, she felt him reach up and pull her headband down over her eyes. His hands hesitated there a bit as if he wanted to do something more, but then he brought them down to hold her hands. He guided her gently into the river.

Tenten was sure that she was about to end up in the cold night water. But when she took the final step, instead of sinking into the water, she felt herself standing on it. Somehow Neji was supporting her above the water with his chakra. Tenten was glad for the dark night, which hid her blush. As Neji brought her further downstream, Tenten could hear the small splashes created in the wake of their footsteps. He stopped and returned her headband to its original position on her forehead. She opened her eyes.

The banks of the river were covered in glowing flowers, which emitted a gentle fragrance that reminded Tenten faintly of lilac. They seemed to sway in a nonexistent breeze, changing colors from white to light blue and pink as they did so. Neji wore a tender smile on his face. "They're called the white tigers of the river." The soft glow from the flowers lit up the area in an ethereal manner.

"But why… did you bring me here?..." Tenten stared at her reflection rippling in the flowing water. A petal from one of the flowers landed nearby, creating a sparkling trail as it floated downstream. Tenten saw Neji's reflection as he picked the petal out of the water behind her and drew closer.

"Because…" Neji brushed the petal slowly across Tenten's lips, but didn't finish his sentence. She turned around; he leaned in for a kiss.

The petal floated down the river.


End file.
